Love Soldiers, Volume 1: Old Version
by Zetan
Summary: This is the very first draft of the only story I've ever posted here. The writing style is much less mature, there's less description and that sort of thing, but the story is, at least, complete. See the other version for an actual description.
1. Chapter 1

Xeron looked out of his castle window at the disturbance below. It wasn't often that he had visitors, but they were always unwelcome. Especially when those visitors were Wood Elf Sorceresses, probably out to make a name for themselves by killing him.

Xeron was a very highly noted Necromancer, so no sorceress, or any other defender of good for that matter, wouldn't want to kill him. Most, however, were too smart to try. Looking down, he almost pitied the poor sorceress as she cleaved through zombie after zombie, having no idea that this was only a fraction of what he could really do...

She was surprisingly good, however, so he decided to stop wasting magic on small fries like zombies. It was time to get serious. He threw out a Summon Undead Horde spell, bringing no less then 15 skeletons to life around her. Then he cast the lesser version, Raise the Dead, and brought about 10 new zombies to join the fray. He didn't estimate she'd be able to hold up against these new adversaries...

But what was this? The zombies suddenly burst into flames, as half the skeletons began to crumble. That looked like a Fiery Convocation spell... and a Banishment one as well. Both High magic spells. This disturbed Xeron greatly, as only the greatest of Wood Elf magic users used High magic. She was a greater threat then he had thought, and it was time to start taking her seriously.

He sent down 20 carrion... enough of the zombie-like birds to easily decimate an army of 150 well trained men.... but she threw up a swirling storm, forcing them to the ground where they were easy targets for her other spells and her blade. The Tempest... this made Xeron even more nervous.

He told himself to relax... she had made it in the castle, but nothing could survive the trip to the top. He had his most elite guard ready down there. "She'll make a good Wraith," he told himself reassuringly. That was the fate of most who made it this far... she was fighting some of those who had tried right this very moment. He listened, hearing flares, slashes, and the sound of battle... waiting for the all too familiar scream that would mean her quest had ended in failure.

He waited and waited for that scream... but instead, the other sounds simply got louder. Not louder, he told himself... closer. By now, he was getting more worried. He kept telling himself that he had nothing to worry about, that he was perfectly safe up here, that no one had ever made it through all of that, and no one ever could. He just about had himself convinced when one of his defeated Wights flew through his door.

He practically yelped, but knew that was no image a Necromancer should have. Instead, he decided to play it safe, summoning up The Dark Mist, a spell which would make him impervious to her sword and give him a very fast escape route, namely strait through the wall.

"Oh no, you don't," she said, quickly muttering the words to the powerful Drain Magic spell. He felt his spell drawn away. He fell to the ground, looking quickly for other options. He knew by now that she was his better at magic, and a magic duel would only result in his defeat. Suddenly, he noticed his sword hanging on the nearby wall. She was good at hand-to-hand combat as well, but he was much better then would be thought, perhaps better then her. It was at least a chance, more then he had otherwise.

He grabbed the sword just in time to block what would have been her deathblow. He regained his stature, forcing her backwards. As he had thought, he was physically stronger then her. He might have a chance yet.

She stumbled slightly, then stood back up, blocking and parrying his blow. They traded several blows, until finally he caught her in a fancy maneuver that sent her sword flying to the other side of the room, and sent her stumbling, falling, down on her back. He lunged at her, wasting no time, his blade, right at her neck. Then... he stopped. 


	2. Chapter 2

Linalia was cowering in fear, thinking that last mistake had been her last. When the end did not come, she slowly opened one eye, then the other. Was Xeron... the famous necromancer... he who was known as a symbol of death to many... was he trembling?

Finally, she got up the courage to ask, "Wha.. what are you waiting for? Why don't you just kill me?"

"I..." he hesitated, not quite sure himself. "It's nothing.. just that... you may be better use to me alive."

She wasn't convinced. "If it's just that... then why are you trembling?"

He was shaking... quite noticeably, actually. And was that a hint of red appearing on his pail cheeks?

He hesitated again, then finally closed his eyes, drawing the sword away. "I've... never really had to kill anyone myself before."

Linalia looked at him for the first time... really looking him over. He'd almost be attractive, if there were a little more color to his skin and such. And his eyes... were those tears?

"I don't know why.... I've had my minions kill so many... I've just never had to kill anyone myself..."

He had sat down on his bed by now, a ratty old thing. The whole room was small, especially for being the main bedchambers of a castle. Linalia walked over to him, not knowing what else to do. She didn't have the heart to kill him, and couldn't just leave.

She sat next to him, thinking what a strange site it must be. "You poor thing... you're not what I thought you were at all."

He looked up, as if remembering for the first time who he was and what he had been doing just a few moments ago. "Why are you still here? You could've just left..."

"Because... there's something about you that... I don't know... You're just not what I expected..."

"So now you're going to keep me alive because I'm a failure? A Necromancer afraid of killing? Just kill me now... get it over with."

Linalia stubbornly put her arm around him, now convinced that he could not be what she came here to find. "No... I'm not sparing you because you're bad as a Necromancer... but because you're good as a person. Because you have a heart."

Xeron pulled away, moving to the other side of the pathetic bed they were both sitting on. "Just go away, will you? If you're not going to kill me, then just leave me alone."

Linalia was still persistent. "I'm not going to leave you alone like this... you can't just take all this alone..."

"Why not? I always have before..."

"Which is even more reason I want to help you! Don't you get it? That's how people's lives are supposed to be!"

Xeron turned away, curling up in a ball, facing the wall. "Not my life... my life has never been like that..."

Linalia suddenly grew silent, remembering how most necromancers got their start. They were usually ignored as children... not cared about by anyone. She suddenly felt very deeply for this man who she had wanted to kill just shortly before.

"I'm staying with you... however long it takes. You can't get rid of me anyway, so don't bother trying."

Xeron ignored her, still facing the wall. Linalia sighed, then grabbed a few rags from a pile and made herself a makeshift bed. "I've slept on worse.." she told herself silently, yawning. Xeron still hadn't moved, and she was getting tired. "I'll just wait 'till tomorrow," she thought to herself, curling up next to his bed. She normally would've had second thoughts about sleeping in a Necromancer's castle, but somehow, she felt perfectly safe. 


	3. Chapter 3

Xeron woke up the next morning. At first, he didn't remember anything from the night before. He slowly got out of bed... then suddenly spotted the little elf sleeping just at his feet.

He thought about killing her right then. It would be so easy.. all he had to do was take his sword, plunge it through her heart, and it would be over with. He picked up his sword and held it to her. She shivered in her sleep, frowning slightly, almost as if she could sense that death was near. He looked at her little face... her delicate features... her soft, flowing hair....

Tossing the sword across the room in anger, he went back to sitting on his bed. Why couldn't he kill her? And how had she known that he wouldn't? Why was she still here? She must be crazy, he told himself. Any Wood Elf would have to be crazy to stay here any longer then she needed to had to be crazy. He sighed, deciding that he must be crazy, too. He curled up on his bed again, not wanting to face the day quite yet... not really wanting to face it ever again.

The next time his eyes opened, he found two little green eyes staring right back into his. She was up on his bed, now, wide-awake and simply waiting for him to awaken as well.

She smiled, saying, "So, you finally woke up? I thought I was a late sleeper..."

He interrupted, finally deciding to put into words what he had been contemplating all morning. "Why are you still here?" he asked.

"I told you, I'm not leaving you alone here," she replied stubbornly. "I'm going to help you."

"Why not? I've never done anything for you... why do you want to 'help' me? Why do you care."

She thought about this for a moment. "There's just.... something about you, I guess. You seem so lonely... you must've had an awful life...... I'm here to make up for it."

"So basically," he mumbled sarcastically, "you're some guardian angel here to make everything all better."

"That's about it," she laughed, "a guardian angel named Linalia."

"I don't want a stupid guardian angel, okay??? Why can't you just go away??"

"Look, unless you suddenly decide you can kill me, there's no way to get rid of me, so you're just going to have to live with me, okay? You'll find I'm very stubborn, so I wouldn't suggest disagreeing."

Xeron finally gave up, turning away from her. "Fine, do whatever you want. Stay here for the rest of your life, for all I care."

If that's how long it takes, Linalia thought to herself, then maybe I just will.... 


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the morning went very slow for Linalia. Xeron refused to get out of bed, or even look at her, for that matter, so she finally decided to explore the rest of the castle in search of food. "Even necromancers have to eat.." she told herself.

After finding and eating breakfast, she decided to go back up and check on Xeron. He was still curled up in a ball, facing the wall. This time she was determined; she was GOING to get something out of him.

"You have to get up sometime, you know.." she started, hoping things could get moving from there.

Xeron remained silent. She could barely even tell he was still awake.

"Are you even going to talk to me? Because I'm not going to leave you alone until you do."

Xeron sighed slightly, still facing the wall. "Fine... if it'll make you go away."

Linalia stopped for a minute, debating what to say next. Finally, she sat down on the bed next to him. "How did you... become a necromancer, anyway?"

Xeron cringed slightly, then shrugged. "I guess... it first started when I was little. Probably about 13 years old."

Linalia nodded, knowing she had found a good starting point.

"I didn't... really have many friends. Most of the other kids just ignored me. But it wasn't them that I hated..."

Linalia noticed a small, muffled sob. He was obviously holding back tears... still not wanting to show his weakness to her.

"It was the ones who didn't ignore me... the ones that called me names... I couldn't do anything right... they teased me to no end... I wanted to show them.. to show them all!"

His voice had gone from sad to angry very quickly, but it now receded again. "I started looking through all the books people had told me not to... dark, evil books... that's where I found my answer.."

Linalia was being affected by this story more then she wanted to admit, at least to him. She felt a tear run down her cheek, but remained silent.

"I did show them... I went to a graveyard... I created my first zombie.... everything went perfectly..... he was under my complete control...... no one ever teased me again."

Linalia couldn't hold her emotions back any longer. "You poor thing... all you really needed... was a friend...."

Xeron went back to his silence, still holding back his own tears as much as possible.

"Why are you doing that? Why can't you just admit that you're sad and cry? There's no one here but me..."

Xeron finally turned to her, for the first time since that morning. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.. his face not matching his outfit or his surroundings at all. She looked at him through different eyes, right then. She looked into his features... his soft looking black hair, his dark, but attractive face, and his eyes... she had never seen eyes that sad in her life.

They both paused like that for a while... just stared into each other's eyes... each caught in the other's gaze. Xeron finally collapsed, expecting to fall into his grimy bed once more. However, Linalia moved quickly, catching him unexpectedly. His first reaction was to push away.. but then he stopped. He just gave up, crying all out for the first time, sobbing into her arms.

Linalia stroked his hair, comforting him as she had wanted to do ever since the night before, a desire that had been growing even more since then. She just wanted to go back in time.. to bring back all the happy childhood times he had missed out on. She knew it was impossible. But now, at least she had opened him up. At least she could help him recover..... 


	5. Chapter 5

Xeron wasn't sure of anything anymore. A few short days ago, he had thought he was evil, cruel, heartless... just as everyone else had thought of him. But now he was crying in the arms of a Wood Elf who would've killed the person he thought he was without second thought.

Why was she doing this? No one had ever cared about him before.... his father was ashamed of him... his mother just ignored him. He'd had no siblings... no friends... no one to care about him at all. He didn't know feelings like that existed. No one cared about anyone, that was how the world was run. Wasn't it?

So why was this Wood Elf... this, "Linalia"... why was she breaking the laws that had governed his life for as long as he could remember? Why did she care? Why hadn't she killed him yet?

For that matter... why hadn't he killed her? What was that force inside him that that had prevented him from killing her right off? He had told her it was because he had never directly killed anyone before, but that wasn't the reason. For him, killing people directly and ordering his minions to destroy them was practically the same thing. There were plenty of cases when he was ready and willing to kill someone, directly or not. Why had he held back with her? He thought back to that moment... he could remember it so vividly. His sword was less then an inch from piecing her helpless neck... her eyes had been closed... her face a mix of terror and anger... angry with herself for being careless, and terrified of the death that was sure to follow....

So what had it been? Her face? Her eyes? Was he incapable of harming someone so helpless... so terrified... so... beautiful.....

He realized it then... her beauty. Those soft, comforting arms that even now held him. That long, flowing hair... those marvelous eyes... he hadn't felt this way about anyone in such a long time...

He suddenly realized his crying had subsided, and he was now just staring up at her... and she was staring back. He gasped slightly, realizing he had done this sub-consciously, just admiring her features without realizing what he was doing. He turned away, blushing.

"It's okay..." Linalia brought her hand up gently to his face, turning it to hers. "You don't have to be afraid to show your feelings anymore. That's why I'm here."

Xeron looked at her again, not sure what he wanted anymore. One side of him was saying that he could handle this on his own. That he was supposed to be able to handle it on his own. But another side was telling him that he didn't have to anymore. This elf... Linalia... she was willing to help him be accepted. He had never known friendship... but now that it was being offered... he didn't know if it was so wrong anymore. His entire life... everything he had been raised knowing... it was all being questioned. But alone, he only seemed to run himself in circles. Maybe someone else... maybe Linalia... maybe she could clear his mind up.

Finally decided, he collapsed into her arms crying. "I... please help me... show me what is right."

She held him tightly, stroking his hair again. "Don't worry... I'll do my best." 


	6. Chapter 6

Linalia had come a long way since arriving at this castle. After finding out Xeron's true nature, she had been determined to help him. The tough part, convincing him to let her, was over. Now she had his open mind, and heart... so she could fill it with happiness and wonderful thoughts.

She was still holding him gently, stoking his hair smoothly. Right then, her thoughts were only on him. All she was thinking about was how she could help him... how she could give him the love that every person deserved. He had only known hatred and anger, never feeling what it was like to be loved by another person. It was a lot to work on, but Linalia knew she was up to the task. If she could just find a place to start...

"You don't have to cry anymore," she reassured him. She gently wiped the tears from his eyes.

"This... this is the first time I've cried in a while... not since I was little...... I cried a lot back then...."

"Oh, you poor thing.... you were never loved... you have no idea what you've been missing out on."

"I'm beginning to get one.." he replied.

"Yes.. that's what I'm here for. Someone you can tell your feelings to... someone you can hug and get comfort from when you're sad... I know it may take time to accept, but you can tell me anything... and you don't have to embrace this life of darkness. There are plenty of people out there who would accept you openly."

"R.. Really? You think so?"

"Yes... I have plenty of friends who I know would like you. Like Resala. Or Sir Galerin. Or even Kaneris." The mention of her friends suddenly seemed to trigger something in her head. "They must all be worried about me..."

"Were they... expecting you back quickly?"

"Yes... I didn't think it would be more then a day.." She bit her lip, now feeling slightly guilty about staying so long.

"You probably want to go back to them.... tell them you're okay and everything..."

"What if you went with me? It'd probably be better for you to get out of this filthy place anyway... start a new life, a better one...."

Xeron thought for a moment. "Are you saying I should... give up Necromancy altogether? Everything I've worked on? What would I have left?"

Linalia shook her head. "No.. you don't have to give up one what you're good at. But you don't have to be evil and live in this dark and dirty castle to use Necromancy, do you? You could still use your magic... just for better purposes."

"You're right.." Xeron admitted, "Again. If you think your friends will accept me... then I'll go with you. Just... to be with you, if nothing else..."

Linalia smiled. "It's settled then. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I'd say earlier, but it's a good day's journey back to town, and we aren't really prepared to make any sort of camp."

"Okay," Xeron said, "I need the extra time to get ready, anyway."

Linalia hugged him again, knowing that she had finally done what no one else would've thought possible. She had opened the heart of a Necromancer, and found a loveable soul within, just waiting to be released. She promised herself silently that she would release that soul, once and for all, and give it all the love and caring it had been begging for all its life. 


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Xeron woke up to Linalia staring down at him, smiling.

"Sleep well?" she asked with a little giggle.

"Better then I have in a while.." Xeron replied.. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup!" She practically dragged him out of bed, eager to get out of this castle as quickly as possible. A Wood Elf could only tolerate being indoors for so long, especially when that indoors was a grimy old Necromancer's castle.

They made their way through the woods on their route to town. The nearest town was a coastal village called Brionne. It was in Bretonnian lands, and was apparently where Linalia was supposed to meet her friends when she was done.

Once in town, they made their way to the Tavern. Xeron's Necromantic robes caught a few people off guard, but he ignored the strange looks, being more silent then ever. A few people thought to protest his presence, but most of them also knew Linalia, and decided that if he was with her, it was probably okay.

As they walked into the crowded tavern, Linalia pointed out a table in the back. On one side sat what looked to be a Knight. He was in his full armor, with the exception of his helmet. Billowing out from his chin was a large brown beard, and his hair followed suit. The colors and style of his armor indicated he was from Bretonnia.

On the other side of the table sat a Halberdier. His hair was brown as well, but clean-shaven. His outfit revealed that he was of The Empire, and also revealed his heavily set muscles. Both men were well built, and looked ready to take on 5 men each.

In between then, a much smaller figure sat. Her figure as well as her pointed ears revealed that she was not human at all, but an elf. From the style and coloring of her outfit and wonderfully crafted bow, she looked to be a High Elf. Xeron admired her beauty for a second, but then turned back to Linalia, who was standing right next to him. She nodded, and they advanced.

The High Elf was the first to notice them. Her eyes lit up, and she shouted over, "Linalia! You're alive!!"

She ran from her seat, embracing Linalia gratefully. "I told you she'd make it," the Halberdier said casually from his spot at the table. The Knight remained silent, but a grateful look was on his face as well.

The High Elf moved back for a moment, suddenly noticing Xeron. "Who's this?" She looked him over, his outfit revealing his Necromantic background. "Oh my gosh... don't tell me....."

Linalia smiled, nodding. "Everyone... this is Xeron."

Everyone looked shocked. The Halberdier shouted out, "Are you insane?? He's a necromancer, for God's sake! Didn't you go out there to KILL him???"

Linalia tried quickly to calm them all down. "No, it's alright... he's on our side now. He was evil... but now he's not. He won't harm any of you."

"Are you sure?" the High Elf asked.

"Positive," Linalia responded, "If he was willing to harm us, I'd already be dead."

The Knight finally spoke up. "Well, then, we shall all have to trust your judgment, my love."

The words hit Xeron like a million pounds. His..... love?? Xeron tried to control his emotions. Did this mean that Linalia... HIS Linalia.... already had someone? He faltered slightly. Only Linalia, by his side, noticed.

"Are you all right, Xeron?" she asked, seeming oblivious to what was making him react like this.

He tried to straiten out, acting like it was no big deal. "No.. I'm... I'm fine."

Linalia smiled, then turned back to everyone. "Well, you might as well introduce yourselves."

The High Elf looked to him, smiling slightly. "I'm Resala. If you're a friend of Linalia's, you're a friend of mine."

The Halberdier looked over. "Kaneris. But don't think you've won my friendship just yet. It took a while before I even trusted Resala."

Resala rolled her eyes. "Do you even trust me now?"

Kaneris thought for a minute. "No, come to think of it, I don't."

The Knight got up, walking over to him. He bowed slightly to Linalia, then took Xeron's hand in his strong grip. "I am Sir Galerin, of the Bretonnian court of Couronne. It is a pleasure to have you on our side, Xeron." His attention turned back to Linalia, whose hand he took, giving it a kiss. "If you wish us to accept this newcomer, I have no objections."

By now, Xeron was burning inside. Why hadn't Linalia told him she had someone? Why had she been so friendly? All these feelings of what he could only guess was love... did she feel none of that back? Did she just like him... as a friend?

"Wait a minute," Kaneris said, interrupting his thoughts. "If he's on our side now... then what of Dagith and the Alliance of Four?"

Linalia looked puzzled, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, that's right," she turned to Xeron. "Are you still planning to unite forces with Dagith?"

Xeron was puzzled. "Dagith? Who is that?"

Now it was everyone else's turn to be puzzled. "What do you mean, who is Dagith?" Resala asked. "You mean... you aren't forming the deadly Alliance of Four that everyone was talking about?"

Xeron shook his head. "I have never heard of such an alliance."

Galerin spoke up. "This is very puzzling indeed. Perhaps we should talk this over during dinner?"

Linalia smiled. "Good idea! I'm starved."

Galerin and Resala took their seats. Linalia sat next to Galerin. Xeron nervously sat next to Linalia, still in slight shock.

After they ordered dinner, chatting resumed. Kaneris started with, "So, you say you haven't even heard of The Alliance of Four? Or even Dagith?"

"No," Xeron relied, "I don't hear much from... anyone... at all. Why would you expect me to?"

"Because," Resala continued, "we heard that you were part of it."

"Perhaps I should explain," Galerin said. "You see, Dagith is a blue dragon. A very powerful, very intelligent, and most of all very evil blue dragon. Rumor has it that he was creating an alliance... an evil alliance, with other powers of evil... to destroy all good races of the world, starting with Bretonnia. It was supposed to consist of him, a powerful Skaven Warlord named Snakich, a powerful Dark Elf Sorceresses Lord named Mashnella, and... you."

"Well, I have never heard of any of these, nor was I planning to join such an alliance. Is that why Linalia was trying to kill me?"

"Yes," Galerin confirmed, "Each of us was to attempt to deal with one of these menaces. Resala went after Mashnella, but was unable to find her lair. Kaneris tried to attack Snakich, but ran away, overwhelmed by the sheer size of his army."

Kaneris crossed his arms, turning stubbornly away.

"I went after Dagith himself, but as you can imagine, his location was almost impossible to find. And Linalia went after you... which apparently turned out better then everyone else's"

"Maybe it's only the Alliance of Three..." Resala said thoughtfully.

"Whatever the case," Galerin finished, "We all underestimated the power of our enemies. Next time, we attack together, as a group. Since Snakich's location is the only one we know, we'll go there first. In the mean time, we should all get some rest. We can stay at the local Inn."

"Sounds good to me," Linalia said.

"What about the bedding situation?" Kaneris pointed out. "We can usually only really afford 2 rooms, and since Galerin and Linalia are always together, Resala and I take turns with the bed in the second room."

"Only because you're too stubborn to let me have the bed like any POLITE man would.." Resala mumbled.

"ANYWAY..." Kaneris continued, "Where is Xeron going to sleep?"

Linalia cut in. "Well, usually Galerin lets me have the bed, so I can take the floor for one night. Xeron can just have the bed, Galerin and I can be on the floor."

"No," Xeron said, "The only reason I didn't force you to take the bed in my castle was because it was probably worse then the floor. Galerin and I will take the floor, and you can have the bed."

Linalia smiled. "Alright, if you insist."

As they were getting to sleep, Xeron laid wide-awake. How could he cope with this? He couldn't rely on Linalia's love like he had thought... perhaps the love she spoke of was the kind he had missed from a father, mother, or siblings. But he wanted more....

He would just have to deal with it, he told himself. He had only known her for a couple days, after all... he could let go. She was obviously oblivious to his feelings... he could just hide them and it would be like they never existed.

Is that what he wanted? It didn't matter. It was how it had to be. 


	8. Chapter 8

Linalia woke up the next morning, looking down at the other two sleeping beside her bed. They were laying side by side, with Galerin closer to her. She remembered many mornings of waking up and looking down at him, admiring his sleeping form happily. But this morning, her eyes couldn't help but wander to Xeron, laying just a few feet farther...

She shook her head. 'You love Galerin,' she told herself. She thought to herself for a moment. She cared about Xeron, yes. She wanted him to feel better... wanted him to be protected and happy. But she didn't love him. And he didn't love her. She had noticed how he reacted when he first met Galerin. He obviously had wanted a romantic relationship. But... he didn't love her, she was sure of it. They had only just met. It takes time to realize that you love a person... time as it had taken with Galerin. She loved him very much... she was sure of that. As for Xeron... she did find him attractive... and perhaps she'd consider a relationship if it weren't for Galerin. But Galerin was there, and that was that. She cared more deeply for him, and she was sure of it. Content, she laid back down, positive that things were better this way.

Galerin awoke soon afterwards, and sat up to greet her with a kiss as he always did in the morning. She smiled happily afterwards, whispering, "Good morning."

"I see our newcomer is still asleep," Galerin whispered back. "He seems friendly enough, but I'm still not sure about him..."

"Oh, don't worry about him," Linalia replied. "He's perfectly fine. If he really wanted any of us dead, don't you think he would've stayed awake and done it at night?"

".. I guess you're right," Galerin whispered thoughtfully. "I suppose we shall have to accept him for now."

By this point, both noticed Xeron moving, and both turned to him. "Good morning," he said, opening his eyes.

Linalia smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Quite fine," Xeron replied.

"I supposed we should go see if Kaneris and Resala are awake," Galerin said.

"Are they ever?" Linalia asked.

"Not usually... they are both quite lazy.. however, we should get ready soon if we are to move through the Black Mountains by nightfall," Galerin pointed out.

After the whole group had gathered in the lobby of the Inn, Galerin once again wearing his armor, the others equipped appropriately, they headed out, leaving town and heading South.

Galerin lead the way, explaining the route. "If we follow the River Brienne to it's first tributary, then continue south along that, it should take us to the small mountain pass we want to move through. With any luck, that should lead us through to the marshes of northern Tilea before night, which is our goal. Our biggest problem in the mountains is the Orcs, but in the marshes Skaven are more of the problem. However, Orcs will not venture too close to the marshes at night, nor will Skaven ever venture into the mountains. Our best bet is to make camp about a mile into the pass, out of the marshes, but close enough to keep away from Orcs."

"We're all SO thankful for your careful planning, Galerin," Kaneris smirked sarcastically.

"I wouldn't think YOU would be the one complaining, Kaneris... you are the one who RAN AWAY from all those little mice last time," Resala snickered.

Kaneris grew silent again, obviously still angry at himself for running like he did.

They reached the mountain pass with no troubles, then began traveling carefully onward. Two mountains loomed to either side of them, and the cloudy sky didn't help the mood much either.

"This is really eerie," Linalia said, putting everyone's feelings into words.

"Kinda makes you feel helpless," Xeron commented, "Anyone could set up an ambush and we wouldn't know until they were right on top of us......"

As if on cue, 20 orcs suddenly leaped out from behind a group of rocks, surrounding them quickly. Everyone readied his or her weapons, keeping their eyes on the big one in the center. "Aye em Deathslicer, uf da Clan Snaag. Yoo ar truspassin' un ar land."

"Is that supposed to be English?" Resala smirked.

"Shuddup, ya skumbag! Get'r, boyz!"

A battle broke out, though seeming very one-sided. Each of the warriors had honed their skills enough to take out 20 orcs each, let alone when all of them worked together. They made quick work of the poor greenskins, but somehow the leader managed to escape in the midst of the fight.

"He'll come back," Kaneris commented. "They always do."

As they made camp that night, Linalia again wondered about Xeron. If he really means nothing, why can't you take your mind off of him? She sighed, telling herself it would all go away if she just waited. She felt a little sorry for him, that was all. Who wouldn't, the poor pitiful thing. 'That's all it is,' she finally resigned. 'Once he's fully recovered, my feelings for him will drift away and there will only be Galerin.' She laid down, closing her eyes and forcing it from her mind. 


	9. Chapter 9

Kaneris woke up the next morning, looking around. He was used to waking up in strange places, this was no different. He smelled the nearby marsh, and memories flooded back into his head. He was going back to the Skaven, back to Snakich and his horde.

Memories of what had happened last time he was here all came flooding back to him. There were so many of those rat-men... how had they expected him to face all of them? He was just one Halberdier... perhaps the best of the best, but one lone Halberdier nonetheless. He sighed. That was still no excuse, he told himself. He had run like a coward. It would've been better to die against impossible odds then to run as he did. He had to prove himself, now. He had to kill Snakich himself... it was the only way.

Galerin walked by, poking him with a pole. "Time to get up, Kaneris."

"I was up!" Kaneris protested.

Galerin sighed and moved on to Resala, not really caring whether he had been up or not.

Kaneris stubbornly got dressed, not saying anything to any of the others.

After they had eaten a quick meal, the party got underway. It took them almost no time at all to reach the marshes, where they all noticed many pairs of eyes, but none of them making any aggression. Kaneris looked at then with slight fear, trying not to show it.

"Look at Kaneris! He's afraid!" Resala had to point out.

"You would be too if you had fought the things alone," Kaneris replied angrily. Normally he would've denied being afraid, but this was different. Resala noticed this difference, and seemed to lay off a bit. 'She's cruel, but she's not heartless,' Kaneris thought to himself.

They finally reached a point that the Skaven apparently decided was 'too far'. They leaped out from everywhere. Within seconds, Resala had her bow out, and was firing shot after shot. Galerin drew his sword, slicing several of the rat-men in half. Linalia shot off spells, torching small groups at a time, while Xeron used more dark, destructive magic. Kaneris, of course, had already had his Halberd ready, and was chopping them down left and right.

The hordes kept coming... hundreds of them, all launching themselves at the five. Galerin shouted orders, telling them to move onward, not to kill every one, but just to kill enough to move on, and not to get separated, whatever happened... but this was all a blur to Kaneris. He started getting flashbacks from when it was only him... so many Skaven, swarming around him... he hacked faster and faster, killing many more then any of the others, but still they kept coming... he tried to keep up with the others, but was losing them... one in front of him, chop! To his right, slice! Quickly, behind him, too fast! An arrow impaled the rodent-head, quite possibly saving Kaneris' life. He looked over at Resala, who winked before going back into the fray of the battle. He was not alone this time, he had his friends.

Eventually, they had apparently killed enough that the rest fled away, saving their numbers for another attack. Above them loomed Snakich's lair... almost a castle, if it weren't in the middle of a swamp and made with sticks and such. A shiver ran through Kaneris. He hadn't made it this far when it was just him... and the battle ahead promised much more difficulty then the one he had left behind. But he was with friends now... and that could make all the difference. 


	10. Chapter 10

Galerin stared up at Snakich's lair, looming above him. He was beginning to understand why Kaneris had run after the first trip here. The Skaven were so great in number, and only slightly weaker then a human warrior. He cringed at the thought of how many lurked within, but knew he couldn't show weakness towards his comrades. He was their leader, and he had to keep his spirits high so that all of them would do the same. They looked up to him, and he had to keep this in mind.

He looked back at the group he was leading, and especially at Linalia and the newcomer, Xeron. It was obvious that he felt something towards her, and he suspected she felt something back as well. Galerin wasn't blind, and it certainly wasn't the first time. Linalia had found other guys before... but it was never really love, and she always came back to him. He knew this and accepted it, not minding the presence of another guy every once in a while. Someday he would ask her to marry him, and then he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. After all, she'd never say no.

Galerin realized he had paused, lost in thought. It hadn't been long, but too long for him. He quickly recovered, motioning everyone inside. No one seemed to have noticed, and seemed a bit busy with their own thoughts. They walked inside, amazed by how large and impressive something could look while at the same time looking so primitive. As they had suspected, there were numerous guards just inside the door. Galerin hacked several dozen aside with his sword before reaching the stairway. Everyone else seemed to be holding up fairly well as he looked back. Even Kaneris was starting to act more confident, Resala covering him whenever possible. These regular Skaven were nothing, but Galerin knew this wasn't all they'd be facing.

As he reached the second floor, he found himself to be more then right. They almost seemed to blend in with the floor, but Galerin noticed them right away. Traps. Made with Warpstone. They were emitting a green gas that he knew would have a very permanent effect on anyone who inhaled it, especially in large quantities. He put his hand over his mouth, running through the mine field as quickly as he could, motioning everyone to follow his example. Once he got everyone safely to the other side, they all ascended the stairway to the third floor.

Again they faced a challenge that was not completely unexpected, but certainly unwelcome. Eight Rat-Ogres stood between them and the next stairway. These were no pushovers, like the swarming rat-men they had left in pieces on the first floor. Five of them could take on a small army, and they had to take on eight.

The giant creatures advanced, moving slowly towards the party. Resala shot an arrow into one of them, impaling the left arm but not seeming to phase it. Linalia and Xeron from either side of them began chanting incantations of opposite types, while Galerin and Kaneris readied their respective weapons.

It looked like it would be a fierce battle... but then Galerin noticed something familiar in Xeron's chanting. He had heard that spell before, but he couldn't pick out where. Then, he realized what it was, just as the freshly created Zombie-Skaven burst through the door behind them. An undead summoning spell to even the odds. Galerin suddenly noted the usefulness of having a necromancer turned good. These newly created soldiers couldn't fight, but they were almost as numerous as the millions of Skaven warriors. They managed to distract and eventually eliminate five of the Rat-Ogres.

Out of the three that survived, two had looked toward the party just in time to see Linalia's Fireball launch off, knocking them both to the ground. Galerin nodded to Kaneris, and they quickly dispatched the remaining one, with some backup from Resala. Everyone looked around, and once it was assured that they were all okay, they headed up the stairway to the fourth and final floor.

As they got to the top, they saw a large, almost empty room. One lone Skaven sat atop a throne, seeming unfazed by his minions all being beaten. This was obviously Snakich, wearing the robes of a Grey Seer, and staring at the five of them ominously. He narrowed his eyes, issuing a silent challenge to anyone who chose to accept. Before Galerin had a chance to do anything.... Kaneris stepped forward. 


	11. Chapter 11

Resala's heart jumped into her throat. What was Kaneris doing?? He didn't have to prove anything! He'd had good reason for running the first time, she had decided, and anyone else in their group would have done the same in that situation. Why did Kaneris feel like he had to prove himself??

But she knew. He was stubborn, just as he had always been. Even if it was a Skaven Grey Seer, one of the most powerful magic users alive, Kaneris didn't stand a chance. Damn him! She silently knocked another arrow, ready to back him up if necessary.

"So... you wish to challenge me, human?" No one had really expected Snakich to speak, but it made sense that he would be able to. Kaneris nodded silently, raising his Halberd

"Pathetic! Such a pathetic human wishes to take me on all on his own," the rat-beast snickered. "Why do you wish to waste your life so?"

Kaneris spoke. "To prevent your alliance with Dagith."

Snakich confirmed what they had all been questioning. "Ah, so word of our alliance has reached the manlings, then," Snakich smiled. "You wish to cut me down before I can join forces with him and that witch-woman Mashnella. Perhaps you have the right idea, but one tiny manling with an axe cannot destroy me. Or do you intend to let your friends help?"

Resala half stepped forward, her mouth opening to voice her opinion, but Kaneris' hand went up, silencing her and any others who would protest. "No, I fight you alone," Kaneris said boldly.

Snakich rose from his seat, the green warpstone in his staff already beginning to glow. Kaneris readied his axe, running in quickly.

Snakich proved quicker. He shot out a Warp Lightning spell from his staff, knocking Kaneris off his feet. Stubbornly, he rose again, heaving his mighty halberd into an attack position again.

The next spell hit him before he even began running. A Plague spell, hitting the already weakened Kaneris full force. He dropped the halberd, falling to the ground, clutching his stomach. Resala and the others rushed to his side, but he held up his hand again. He didn't look in any condition to move, let alone fight, but he got up never- the-less, somehow finding strength to lift his giant weapon over his shoulder once again.

"Your endurance is admirable... but can you even make it over to me?" Snakich laughed, taunting him evilly.

A new light too into Kaneris' eyes. He glared at Snakich and, summoning strength from somewhere, rushed towards him full-force. Snakich's eyes widened with surprise, but he was not unprepared... he rose his staff, casting a Skitterleap spell just in time, placing himself in back of Kaneris instead of under his falling blade. The blade impaled into the floor, wedged too far in for Kaneris to pull out, especially in his weakened state. Snakich rose behind him, chittering with victory.

Resala couldn't take any longer. Maybe his pride would be hurt, but his life was more important. She shot her arrow, flying right into the back of the surprised Skaven's skull. The aim was perfect, and death seemed instant. Resala rushed to Kaneris' side quickly.

She gathered him into her arms, him too weak to resist. She whispered words of comfort, cradling his battered figure gently. Little did she know of the shadow slowly rising behind her...

"Resala, watch out!" It was Xeron's voice, and she turned just in time to see him dive on top of the very alive Snakich. The two magic users struggled, Snakich glowing slightly green, while Xeron began to take on a blackish emanation. They weren't using spells, but this struggle was more then just physical.

Xeron finally got on top, drawing a dagger and stabbing the rat-man. He stabbed him again and again, over and over, directly into his chest. The rest of the group watched, almost horrified. Resala thought silently to herself. 'He did all that... to save me?'

Linalia finally walked over to Xeron, Snakich appearing quite dead this time, green blood flowing from his open wounds. She put her hand gently on his shoulder, and he stopped, catching his breath. He looked over at Resala, a slightly frightening half-smile on his face. He looked utterly terrified, and wasn't doing a great job of hiding it. She walked over to him, looking at him gently. "You.. saved me.... thank you." She looked at him another second, then shook her head, suddenly remembering Kaneris still laying only a few feet away. She looked back, but saw that Galerin had already given him a healing potion, and he was standing back up, yanking his halberd from the floor.

"Let's get out of here," Resala said. No one argued in the least. 


	12. Chapter 12

Xeron woke up the next morning, half expecting the whole thing to have been a dream. Instead, he looked around at the camp that had been set up around him, remembering it all to have been very, very real.

He looked over at the still sleeping Linalia. He observed how beautiful she was when she slept... but forced it from his mind. He couldn't look at her that way, or he would end up worse off then he was. There was no chance for them to be together, he just had to move on. He looked then over at Resala. She, too, was still quietly sleeping. She was very beautiful as well... although in completely opposite ways. Instead of Linalia's long, golden hair, she had shorter, brown hair. She was not as graceful looking, but made up for it with her wonderful, almost athletic figure.

He moved over to her, looking at her more carefully. Her beauty was different, all right, but not inferior by any stretch of the imagination. Her personality was different, but not any less appealing. It was obvious he couldn't have Linalia... what about Resala? Could he not love her instead?

Her soft brown eyes opened slowly, Xeron not thinking to move. She looked up at him, surprised to see him there. Smiling a bit, she chuckled, "Good morning, Xeron."

He gasped, suddenly realizing what this must look like. He stumbled back a little, saying, "Um.. yes, good morning."

Resala didn't seem to notice, still half asleep. She yawned, stretching. Looking around, Xeron noticed Linalia was awake as well. He wondered how long she had been, and if she had seen him when he had been admiring the sleeping Resala. He shrugged it off, deciding it wouldn't matter unless she brought it up later.

After everyone had woken up, and breakfast had been eaten, they discussed their next move.

"The only ones left are Dagith and Mashnella," Galerin pointed out. "We've already proven that those two are planning an alliance."

"Does it even matter anymore?" Kaneris asked. "Before, when it was three armies coming together with a powerful leader, that was threatening. But now, it's just one army and a Dragon. Is it really worth the effort?"

"We still don't know his reasons," Resala argued. "He could be planning something that only needs on army. Mashnella's army is much bigger then Snakich's was, anyway. His plans may be slowed, but we want them stopped."

Xeron thought of something. "How did you find out about his plans anyway? Could it really be that bad?"

Galerin frowned. "Rumors, in a tavern. Multiple taverns, actually, which is what led us to believe it was more then a rumor. But now we know for a fact that an alliance was being planned, and there must be a reason for that. And besides... Mashnella has committed many crimes against man, destroying many innocents and wreaking havoc on all. It is our duty as human beings to bring her to justice."

"Horrendous crimes, huh?" Kaneris half-snickered. "Sounds like someone else we know..."

Linalia burst out, "Don't even go there, Kaneris! People change, if you give them a chance. Xeron already has."

"So does that make up for everything he's done? Are all those people who died because of him supposed to say, 'Oh, it's okay, you're good now, so it doesn't matter.' Is that what they're supposed to say?"

Linalia grew silent, not knowing how to respond. However, it seemed Resala did.

"Look, there are only two ways to make up for killing all those people. He can die himself, or save just as many people. I think it's better that he's chosen the latter. Killing is bad, you've already proven that! Would you rather we take one more life, one with the potential to save millions of others? Honestly, if he hadn't been with us back there, I'm not sure you would've survived. You should be thanking him, not threatening him!"

Xeron looked at Resala. He had been feeling almost the same way as Kaneris for most of this time, like he should have to suffer for his crimes. Now, she had pointed out what even he had not seen. Make up for killing life by preserving it. It made sense...

He looked back at Kaneris, who had run out of arguments. He simply sat, cross-armed, with his usual, 'Okay, you win, but I don't have to like it' look.

Galerin sighed. "Okay, now that that's settled... Can we please get back to the topic at hand? We're all decided on going after Mashnella, correct?"

Everyone nodded his or her agreement, to certain degrees.

"Okay, good. For now, we'll head back to Brionne. Tomorrow, we can set sail for Dark Elf lands and find Mashnella's castle. Sound like a good enough plan for now?"

"Wonderful, wonderful," Kaneris muttered sarcastically. "Whatever you say, oh great leader. We'd walk to the Realm of Chaos for you."

Resala smacked him, as Linalia just rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long trip... 


	13. Chapter 13

On the way back to town, Linalia used the forest to her advantage as she often did. She could use her knowledge of the woods and slight usage of suggestion to make the trip go however she wanted it to, especially separating the party into groups. She did this on this trip, purposely separating the party into two groups, leaving her alone with Xeron. She had much skill at this, and no one even really noticed.

Once she was sure they were out of the earshot of others, she turned to him casually, as if just out of the blue. "So.. how have you been feeling ever since we left the castle?"

He didn't look over, keeping his eyes on the trail ahead. "I guess I've been doing better..."

Linalia nodded, smiling. "That's good.."

They continued in silence for another few minutes before Linalia finally continued.

"I.. saw the way you looked at Resala this morning... do you think you like her?"

Xeron, blushed slightly, and nodded in reply.

"Well, that's good," Linalia responded, only half meaning it. "Someone to fall in love with would help you a lot with your... recovery... and she's really nice, and seems to really like you. Remember how she stuck up for you back there with Kaneris?"

Xeron nodded again, staying silent.

"I'll have to mention it to her sometime... see what she thinks of the whole thing."

Linalia put them at a slight angle, the rest of the party emerging just as she had calculated just a minute or two later. She smiled at them like it was coincidence, and they said their various greetings. Then the whole group continued back toward town.

As they continued to travel, mostly in silence, Linalia thought to herself about this new development. She remembered what she had told herself before. 'You don't really love him... just feel sorry for him after all he's been through.' She compared this statement to how she was actually feeling. 'Why did I feel so... jealous.. when he said he liked Resala?' She shook her head, brushing the thought away. 'Even if you do... love him or something... it doesn't matter. You're more in love with Galerin, and he's done a lot more for you. If anything, this is just a stupid crush that will go away with time. At least Resala is single... and he really deserves someone like him. They'd be a great couple.'

Galerin looked over, noticing her unhappy look. "Is anything wrong, love?" he asked, concerned.

Linalia looked up at him, quickly masking her discontent. "No, nothing, just kind of out of it, I guess."

Galerin shrugged. "Alright, if you say so."

But there was something wrong, and she knew it... even if she refused to accept it. This feeling couldn't just be nothing..... 


	14. Chapter 14

As Brionne came into sight, Kaneris smiled. They had done it. He had done it. Snakich was dead. And they had made it back safely to town.

They walked into town, heading wordlessly to the Tavern. It was practically a given that they went there after a quest of any sort. They were all happy to be there, happy to be alive.

After they had eaten a filling meal, Galerin finally returned to his normal, responsible self. Of course, this meant he began planning the next attack right away.

"We'll need a ship," he said. "A large ship... one that can cross the Sea of Chaos with everyone in decent condition on the other side."

"Are you insane??" Kaneris half shouted. "How are the five of us supposed to manage a ship that big???"

"Kaneris is right," Resala said. "We need a crew."

Xeron mumbled from the back, "I... I may have a suggestion..."

Linalia looked over at him. "What is it?"

"Well," he continued, "I was thinking... I still have a fairly large army of undead back at my castle.... and they'd certainly be enough to handle a ship..... plus, we wouldn't have to worry as much about the Dark Elf army if we had our own army......"

"That's a wonderful idea," Galerin said.

Kaneris mumbled, "Great... so now they're going to put me on a ship full of undead, ship me across the Sea of Chaos, and then pit me against some of the worst Dark Elves ever to walk the face of the Earth... how did I get associated with these people again?"

No one seemed to hear his complaints, so they simply continued preparation for the quest.

After returning to Xeron's castle to get the horde, they were heading back into town. Kaneris almost laughed out loud as some of the looks they got. They stayed on the outskirts, so never saw more then two or three people at once, but every time someone saw them, the reaction was hilarious. After all, a Knight was leading a soldier, a couple elves, a necromancer, and an undead horde. It was quite a sight indeed.

They arrived at the port, and talked to the first ship-owner they found. He seemed more then willing to give them a good price... of course, the moaning zombies and such in the background probably helped the negotiations a bit. Kaneris finally broke out laughing after the terrified man left, not being able to control himself any longer. Most were reacting about the same. He even noticed a chuckle from Xeron.

Galerin smiled, then said, "Okay, let's get going..." 


	15. Chapter 15

Galerin looked out at the wide ocean, smiling. It had been a long time since the last time he had sailed, and he was enjoying it quite a bit. Then he looked back at his "crew". An undead horde of skeletons and zombies were all over, manning the sails, swabbing the decks... with a skeleton looking mindlessly out the crow's nest to make the picture complete. Kaneris was nervously sitting in a corner, looking suspiciously at the handful of zombies nearby. Poor Resala was apparently affected by sea-sickness, and Xeron was doing his best to comfort her, patting her on the back occasionally. Galerin guessed his Linalia was down in her quarters.

He looked back at the water again. It was a lot less depressing then the quality of his crew.

Finally he decided to go down to see Linalia. He was technically the captain, but the undead's movements were so mechanical and automatic that he wasn't even really needed. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'it's better then nothing... and at least we'll get there...'

He wandered down to the room they had decided would be for Linalia and him, and found her laying on the bed crying. His first instinct was to rush to her side and try to comfort her, but he realized she was saying something.

"Why? Why does it bother me at all?"

Galerin stopped, realizing there was no way she would tell him what was going on if he let her know he was there.

"It's not as if I... love him or anything..... I should be happy for him...."

Galerin realized that the situation with Xeron might be more serious then he had thought. He had known she had feelings for her, but being reduced to crying....

"So... why does it bother me so much that he's up there with her, and I'm down here..... alone..?"

Galerin finally stepped into view. "You're not alone... you have me."

Linalia leaped up, surprised to see him there. "Galerin... how much..."

"Enough," Galerin replied, not even waiting for her to finish the question.

Linalia sat back down on the bed, growing quickly silent.

Galerin sat down next to her, putting his arm comfortingly around her. "Did you think I hadn't figured it out already? It was a bit obvious...."

Linalia stayed silent.

"Listen... I... you obviously like him a lot... but, why do you always do this to me, Linalia? Why do you always put me in this situation?"

Linalia continued to be silent, looking down at the floor.

Galerin sighed, standing up. "I don't know what to do anymore..."

Linalia's eyes clouded up again...

"You always come back to me, but until then, you're always like this..... and I suppose I'm just supposed to comfort you and try to live with it..."

Linalia laid back down as he started walking away, tears filling her eyes once again.

"Well, I'm tired of it... I'll be waiting when you come to your senses... until then, do whatever you with." With that, he walked away, ignoring her sobs as they got more and more distant.

'Maybe I was too rough on her,' he thought as he emerged onto the deck. 'I'm just to tired of going through this, over and over...'

He sighed. 'Oh well... she'll come back to me when this is all finished... she always does.' He reached the deck, and smiled out at the rest of the group, pretending there was nothing wrong. 


	16. Chapter 16

"Ugh...."

Resala was still hunched over the side of the ship. She glanced over at Kaneris, who was minding his own business, not really caring that she was in near-complete agony. Then again, she didn't expect much more, from him....

Xeron, on the other hand, was much more kind. He rubbed her back again, trying his best to comfort her, but really not having much experience at it. Xeron was much more kind... amazing, when she thought about it. A necromancer was more kind then a regular soldier. Kaneris wouldn't be caught dead doing something like this unless he thought he could get something out of the deal.

But..... Why was Xeron doing it? Did he want something? Did he... did he want.... love?

A sudden cry from the creature in the crow's nest interrupted her thoughts. He was pointing out in front of the ship. Land! Resala practically leaped for joy. Xeron smiled. He was obviously happy that her agony would finally be ended.

It wasn't long before they had reached the continent. The sky was dark, and the forest up ahead looked quite unwelcoming. Even the ground itself seemed evil. But it was land, none-the-less, and poor Resala felt like kissing it. She didn't know what she was dreading more.... facing an entire army of Dark Elves, or the trip back afterwards.

"It won't be safe camping out anywhere," Galerin pointed out. "I got some information before we left that Mashnella's castle is very close to a town called Hag Graef.... roughly translated, "The Dark Crag".... if my map is right, and this is The Black Forests, as all the landmarks suggest, then it shouldn't be far from here."

"Lead the way....." Kaneris said, half-sarcastically.

As they began heading along the shore, after securing their boat with a spell so no one would steal it, Resala noticed Linalia wasn't much being herself at all.

"Are you okay?" she asked, slightly worried.

Linalia looked up. "Oh.. yeah, I'm fine," she said, quite un- convincingly. Resala decided not to pursue the issue any farther. If something was wrong, and Linalia wanted to talk, she knew she could tell her. That's how it always was..... if something major was happening with one of them, they would always tell the other. Always. 


	17. Chapter 17

As the group walked farther along the shore, Xeron's undead army trailing behind, Xeron looked over at both Resala and Linalia. If he really had a choice... who would he choose? Linalia had been so kind to him... and was so beautiful....

Though Resala was very beautiful, too, in the opposite fashion. And she was sometimes more fun to be around, especially lately... Linalia had been acting strange lately.....

He looked at her sad, almost lonely face.... why did she seem so.... empty? She had Galerin, after all.... why shouldn't she be perfectly content?

Xeron shook his head slightly. He shouldn't be thinking about that kind of thing. The point was, he didn't have a choice. Linalia was.... unattainable. If he was going to love anyone, Resala was who he should be focusing on. She was just as good as Linalia, sometimes even better.

With this thought, he smiled over at Resala. She looked at him for a second, then smiled back... confusion evident on her face, but mostly showing her pleasure at seeing him happy. She was sweet... friendly... kind... there was no reason he couldn't be with her.

Galerin, shouting orders from up ahead, pulled him from his thought. "That river up ahead.. it's not named on my map, but it's definitely the one we're looking for. If we follow it upstream a little way, it will eventually lead to a bridge... a bridge at the base of Mashnella's castle."

"Isn't it getting a bit dark?" Kaneris asked. It was indeed getting late, and the sun had nearly disappeared over the horizon.

"The last thing I want to do is attack a Dark Elf castle in the middle of the night," Resala said unsurely.

"Making camp would be hard at this point," Galerin pointed out. "But you're right, night-time is the worst time to attack, and waiting until tomorrow morning would leave us all too tired...."

"My undead can't really do anything if I'm not at least awake.... why don't we just make camp, and take turns on guard duty. That way, we all get some sleep, and we're well guarded in case of intruders," Xeron suggested.

They all agreed, and soon camp was set up. Xeron volunteered for the first shift, but Kaneris didn't want to trust him alone like that. Galerin agreed that there should be two people per shift, if for nothing else, then to simply keep the other one awake. Resala quickly jumped at the chance, literally leaping up from her seat. Linalia opened her mouth to say something, but quickly glanced over at Galerin and closed it again, looking down. Xeron eyed her curiously, then dismissed it away.

Linalia volunteered for the second shift, and though everyone expected her to choose Galerin, she asked if Kaneris could take it with her. He shrugged, and said he didn't really mind when his shift was. Galerin asked for anyone who wanted to do the 3rd and final shift with him, and seeing no one else who wanted to, Resala stepped forward, since she was on the first shift, and said she didn't need all that much sleep anyway.

After everyone had settled down to sleep, Xeron and Resala sat together, a bit nervous being finally alone. The waves moved in and out, the only noise in the awkward silence.

Surprisingly, it was Xeron who spoke up first. "I guess if we're supposed to keep each other awake, we should try to actually talk...."

Resala giggled slightly. "Sorry.. I'm not very good at thinking of things to talk about at times like this......"

"It's okay," Xeron said, leaning back a bit from his position on the sand, "Neither am I.... then again, after having no one but the dead to talk to for most of your life, I suppose you lose any conversational skills you might have otherwise had....."

Resala grew silent at the mention of his Necromantic life.

"You don't have to be so uptight about all that," Xeron commented, noticing her discomfort. "It was a part of my life..."

"But look what it did to you!" Resala half-shouted, moving closer to him. "It made you... evil... and you did a lot of bad things...."

"I guess you're right... but it's over now.... over and done with. There's no use trying to deny it happened... just accepting it and moving on is really the best thing to do...."

Resala paused again, and the two simply listened to the waves again. Finally, she spoke up again.

"What made you... turn to Necromancy in the first place?"

"Well... teasing, I guess... at school....."

"Some boys teased you, and you decided to kill them all with dark magic?"

Xeron almost laughed. "You make it sound so much more... simple... then it really was. It wasn't... just teasing, I guess..."

He looked down, and Resala moved closer. "Well... what do you mean?"

"They.." Xeron hesitated. "They... they beat on me...."

Resala gasped slightly, putting one hand on his shoulder.

"I was always... the 'smart' one in the class.... the others... I guess they envied my intelligence, in a way.... all my teachers said I had marvelous potential, but the others..... they would come to me after school.... after a day of making them all look like the fools they really were with my smarts, after a perfect test that most of them failed.... they would come to me after classes were over.... and attack me...."

Resala was almost in tears, thinking about it. "That's so awful..."

"It started out not that bad... but got worse..... I excelled in brains, but they were each stronger then me... Every day, I would come home with bruises and scars.... my family life wasn't exactly top of the line either...... no one cared........."

"So that's why you turned to dark magic..."

"Yes... I knew that if I couldn't beat them in strength, I could at least beat them with my brain-power... my will-power.... None of the light magic I was allowed to learn could let me do anything, I needed another way.... and that's when I found that book of Necromancy....."

Resala was patting his back now, as he was a bit teary-eyed as well. He wiped his eyes, trying not to show he was crying. It was hurting him to remember more then he had thought it would...

Resala finally took him into her arms, and he willingly embraced her. "It's okay... you don't need to talk about it anymore... I'm sorry..."

The embrace lasted another few minutes, with Xeron just crying, the memories so painful. As the pain began to flood away, he began to realize again where he was... whose arms he was crying into.....

He looked up at her again, the sadness replacing itself quickly with nervous embarrassment. "I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have broken down like that...."

She shook her head, looking at him kindly. "It's okay... I'm glad you got a chance to let it all out and tell someone like this... you've really been needing this, I can tell...."

A small light spell Xeron had cast suddenly blinked out, signaling it was time for the next shift. They both came to their senses, realizing what it meant. Resala yawned, obviously quite tired.

"I'm not that tired," Xeron said. "You go ahead to sleep... you look like you need it. I'll wake up Kaneris and Linalia for the next shift."

Resala nodded, heading for her bed. Xeron watched her, waiting a little bit after she laid down, then headed over to wake up Linalia. 


	18. Chapter 18

Linalia awoke to Xeron softly shaking her. For a second, she wondered why he was waking her up in the middle of the night... but then she remembered; it was her shift.

She rose, rubbing her eyes slightly, half paying attention as Xeron said, "Resala used a light spell.. one that lasted something like two and a half hours, to measure the shifts... she said you knew it too..."

"Of course," Linalia said groggily. "We use that one whenever we have to use guard shifts."

"All right," Xeron said, turning to leave, "You cast that, I'll go wake up Kaner-"

"Xeron?" Linalia interrupted.

Xeron stopped, not turning around. "Yes?"

"Would you mind... staying up another shift?"

Xeron turned back, thoughtfully. "You want to talk?"

Linalia nodded. "As long as you'd still be getting enough sleep..."

Xeron smiled. "I was lucky if I got two hours back when I lived at my castle. Besides, Resala wanted to run two shifts... I can just do it for her. Kaneris can do the last shift instead of her."

Linalia smiled, then concentrated, casting the light spell. When it was finished, it hovered above her, following her wherever she wanted to go. She wandered to the shore, Xeron following her.

After a short time in silence, Xeron prompted, "So.. what did want to talk about?"

Linalia blushed slightly. She didn't quite know herself. All she had been able to think about was a way to get to spend a couple hours alone with him... now that was accomplished, but what could she do? She had to say something...

"How... how are things going with Resala?" she finally thought of. She knew this was really the last thing she wanted to talk about, but at least it could get a conversation going....

Xeron shrugged. "We haven't really.. gotten anywhere yet... though I think she may like me..."

Linalia almost sighed with relief. "That's good. About her liking you, I mean. And you should probably take it kind of slow anyway...."

Xeron nodded thoughtfully, looking out into the ocean. "Even in such an evil place, the water is still beautiful..."

Linalia nodded wordlessly.

They sat there in silence another few minutes, just watching the waves move in and out. Xeron was the one to start things back up again this time.

"So... how are you and Galerin doing? You two seem very close..."

Linalia's eyes clouded up. She hoped he wouldn't notice in the darkness, with only the dim light of the light spell hovering off to the side a bit. She finally choked out, "We.. we're fine..."

Xeron looked at her. "Are you.. okay?"

He had noticed. She had to stop this right now... but her eyes started to well up more and more.... if she started crying now.....

Xeron moved closer, brushing a gentle finger just under her eye. "You're... crying...?"

Linalia couldn't stand it any longer, and thrust herself into his arms. Xeron seemed to hesitate a moment, then Linalia felt his comforting arms around her. She cried openly, her sobs only muffled by his chest, her tears falling onto his black robe...

Xeron patted her back, obviously trying to comfort her however possible. Finally, after crying openly for several minutes, she drew away, muttering, "I'm sorry...."

"Please... why? Why did you cry?"

Linalia shook her head. "I don't... I don't know...."

"There has to be something.... something's obviously bothering you a lot. Tell me... what is it?"

Linalia paused. She knew exactly what was bothering her. Should she tell him? Could she tell him?

"I... I guess there is something....."

Xeron looked into her eyes, looking anxious and worried... wanting to know why she had cried so he could try to help....

"I.. Galerin... he.. he noticed... I...."

Xeron put his hand on her shoulder. "Take a deep breath.. tell it from the start."

Linalia did so, breathing in and closing her eyes. Then she opened them again, and started over.

"I.. I've sort of been... watching.... you... watching with the eyes of... of someone other then a friend...."

"You mean...?"

"Yes.. I... I guess it could be called a... crush....."

Xeron looked down, not knowing what to say.

"But Galerin... he.. he noticed..."

"Oh my God... don't tell me he-"

"No!" Linalia interrupted. "Nothing like that... it's just that.. that... this isn't the first time I've.... looked at another man this way while still being with Galerin....."

"Oh..." Xeron looked down again, knowing even less what to say.

"He thinks... if he ignores me.... eventually I'll come back to him, just like I have in the past..... but..... it feels different this time......."

She grew silent again, and they both looked out at the ocean again. It's waves beat in and out, giving them no answers, but simply reminding them of the ever passing time...

"That's why," Linalia finally said, "..that's why I wanted you to be with Resala... I thought if I didn't have a choice... didn't have an option, then there would be no second thoughts... you can't do the wrong thing if there's only one thing to do....."

She looked at Xeron, sadness looming in her eyes. "If it would make it easier for you," Xeron said slowly, "..then maybe I could just go with Resala.... at least for a while..... I don't want to break up such a long and loving relationship, especially if it turns out to be just over some stupid little crush......"

Linalia opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again and nodded.

"We'll just.. keep this a secret..." he went on. "Resala is.. very nice... attractive.... I... I really feel kind of close to her... and you... you really do belong with Galerin.... I'm sure this whole thing is just a small thing... It'll boil away to nothing in no time, and then everyone will be happy....."

Linalia wasn't convinced he meant it, but it was still better to finally hear from someone else what she had been trying to tell herself all this time. There was another uncomfortable silence before the light went out.

"Go on to bed," Linalia said. "I'll go wake up Kaneris and.. Galerin for the last shift... goodnight."

Xeron nodded, walking off. " 'Night..." 


	19. Chapter 19

"Come on! Wake up!!"

Kaneris finally opened his eyes after being kicked in the side about 10 times. At least 10 that he was consciously aware of.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked, annoyed.

"I do, in fact..." Linalia said, "It's time for your shift."

Kaneris moaned reluctantly, stumbling to his feet.

"So, I suppose you'll cast that light spell and get us started for the-"

"Nope, I'm going to bed."

"Wha... but isn't it your shift too?"

"Xeron took your place on the second shift, so now it's the last shift, and you're on. I'll cast the spell, then you can stay with Galerin 'till it's over and wake everyone else up. I'd suggest that spot by the shore there... it seems to have a good vantage point."

"Actually," a voice from a few feet away said, "if you don't mind.... I could take the third shift."

Kaneris looked over to see Resala sitting up in her sleeping bag, looking over at him. "In trying to wake Kaneris up, you woke me up too.... Galerin needs his sleep anyway, he's our best fighter, and will probably be working hardest...."

"Best fighter??" Kaneris exclaimed, sitting up for the first time. "I could beat him in a duel any day..."

Resala giggled a little. "Whatever. Anyway, I'll take Galerin's place, you can get to sleep, Linalia."

Linalia nodded and wondered off. Resala got up, walking over to Kaneris, who reluctantly shed his covers as well. After numerous complaints from Kaneris as to how cold it was, they made it to the shore. Then he sat down, shivering.

"Oh, come on... it can't be that bad," Resala said.

"I am.. very sensitive... to cold...." Kaneris said, between shivers.

"Oh, you big baby...."

Kaneris remained silent, and they both just sat there for a few minutes in silence. The waves moved calmly in and out, Resala's light spell shining bright.

"So.." Kaneris finally said. "It's not really my business, but you seem to like Xeron quite a bit."

Resala shrugged. "He's... well.... he kind of needs love right now. I feel sorry for him. But I don't really see anything in our future....."

Kaneris nodded thoughtfully. He looked at her for another few seconds, then said, "I'm no real expert on romance or anything... but, just from what I've seen, it seems to me like you're almost... holding out... for someone else."

Kaneris had just been stabbing at the dark when he said this, not meaning to imply anything. In his eyes, it was simply a test of his judgment of character. He had been working on this skill quite a bit, and wanted to know if he had gotten it right.

When he looked over at her, though... her face seemed.... red. Was she.. blushing?

The thought suddenly hit him. Hit him hard. He was right... she was holding out for someone else. And that someone.... was him. That's why she had always insisted on sharing the same room. That's why she didn't want to get too close to Xeron. It also fit in with her seemingly strange desire to sit through this shift. He hadn't bought that whole 'extra sleep for Galerin' story anyway.

Resala managed to mumble, "Yeah... maybe that's it.... waiting for someone else....."

Kaneris was starting to come to terms with what this meant. She.. liked him. Liked him a great deal, from what he could tell. Was this... a bad thing? He looked at her through new eyes. He had never really noticed before, but she was quite pretty. He had always enjoyed her company.... and really wouldn't mind it being more then that.

Why not? Why shouldn't he be with her? He had never really felt romance before.... maybe this was his chance. It certainly couldn't hurt to find out..... could it? He was pretty good with words, over all...... he could certainly find some way to tell her.

He realized he had been silent in thought for a little while now, and should start the conversation back up.

"So... you don't want to be with Xeron because there's someone else..?"

Resala shrugged, then nodded silently.

Kaneris reached his hand down to the sand, playing with it, a bit nervous. "So... anyone I know? We've just been traveling... just the four of us at first, and now five.... is it someone you met before our group got together?"

Resala hesitated, obviously not really wanting to lie to him, but not quite sure if she was ready to tell him. Finally, she quietly shook her head.

Kaneris moved closer. "Well besides Xeron and Galerin... I guess that only leaves...."

Resala looked up into his eyes. He smiled warmly down at her, noticing the soft look in her eyes that he supposed had always been there, but he was only just noticing now. He moved his hand up, brushing it through a bit of her soft, brown hair.

"You... you knew...." Resala stammered.

"I had an idea," Kaneris said, smiling. "So, it is true?"

Resala looked away a bit, blushing again. Kaneris softly brought her head back to face his, looking into her eyes again.

"It's alright...... you don't have to be afraid. I can't really say a... relationship.... would really be the worst thing I could think of happening right now."

Resala looked at him, her eyes widening along with her smile. Her entire face seemed to light up, and she suddenly wrapped her arms around him.

Kaneris smiled again. This was going to be a change. But, for the most part, change was good. He had always wondered what a relationship was like... now was his chance to find out.

After the long, drawn-out embrace, Kaneris drew away, smiling warmly. He noticed the sun peeking over the far edge of the sea, where it seemed to drop down and disappear completely. Soon, her light spell would end, and they would have to wake up the others.

"Should we tell.. the others?"

"Not just yet..." Resala said, looking over. "It's probably better if they don't know, just yet. We can tell them when the time is right, if they don't find out before then."

"Well then," Kaneris said, "if we can't do anything couple-related while they're around...." He grinned, wrapping his arms around her.

She smiled back, happier then ever. They laid down together, watching the beautiful sunrise while cuddled in each other's arms. 


	20. Chapter 20

Galerin slowly opened his eyes. The sun was up. He sat up just in time to see Resala and Kaneris walking back towards camp from the beach.

"Did I sleep through my shift?" Galerin asked, quite puzzled.

"No," Resala explained, "We just switched the shifts around a bit... we figured you could use some extra sleep, being our leader and all...."

"How.. thoughtful of you. Thank you," Galerin said, rubbing his eyes.

After the camp had been packed up and the party was assembled, they began the trip once again along the river. It didn't take long, and they soon saw Mashnella's castle just ahead. The two guards outside eyed them, knowing simply by their clothing that they were not Dark Elves, and therefore probably not coming peacefully.

"What is your business here?" one of the guards said as they approached within hearing range.

Galerin drew his sword, holding it high in the air. "We wish to challenge the witch Mashnella and stop her evil ways once and for all!"

The guards didn't look impressed. They held their ground, narrowing their eyes.

Kaneris chuckled. "What did you expect, Galerin? An open invitation? Let's go!"

Kaneris rushed forward, halberd readied. The two guards braced themselves, readying for the attack. Galerin stopped for a minute, not expecting such initiative from Kaneris, then grinned and charged forward as well.

An arrow flew from in back of them, plunging strait into the chest of the guard on the right. Kaneris chopped him neatly in half as he held the arrow in shock, ending his life quickly.

Galerin approached the other guard, his sword moving almost faster then he could keep track of, and quickly dispatched the other guard. That took care of the two by the door. There were many more inside.

Galerin kicked open the door. Four more guards, all bearing spears, greeted them. Galerin met the first one with his sword, slicing off the end of his spear, then kicking him backwards. Another one came up from his side, but he blocked just in time with his sword, knocking the spear out of the unfortunate Dark Elf's hands and stabbing him quickly through the heart. By that point, the other two had already been taken care of by the rest of the party. 'Good,' Galerin thought to himself, 'That's their job.'

They made their way through the rest of the castle, and it went as it always did. Galerin sliced through guard after guard, with the rest of the party helping him. That's how it was supposed to be... he was the leader, they were all his support. He was the hero, they were the followers. As long as they did as he said, the would not, could not, fail.

The battle continued. Soon, they were facing up to ten or twenty guards at a time. The air smelled of burnt flesh from their spells, and even Xeron's army of skeletons had been brought fully into the fray, making quite the impressive looking battle indeed. But it was all for Galerin. The hero, the champion.

Galerin looked back, seeing the others fighting, unconsciously blocking and parrying a pitiful attempt to attack him. 'They're nothing without me,' he thought. As if to prove this, he swung his sword strait through three oncoming guards at once.

Suddenly, Linalia shouted out to him. "Galerin!" He looked over, turning his head slightly to the right. She was doing fine... why had she called out for his help?

She hesitated, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him what she had called his attention to. She shook her head slightly, then shouted and pointed. "Behind you!"

Galerin turned around just in time to see the giant axe that would have hacked his head clean off his shoulders. He blocked it, tossing the blow off and giving the Elf who had delivered it exactly what he deserved.

'She wasn't calling for my help,' he thought as he fought on, mostly relying on instinct. 'She was warning me... but she hesitated. A second longer, it would've been my head. It very nearly was. Why did she hesitate?'

He killed another Dark Elf, and advanced five more steps toward their goal. Five steps deeper into the castle. But it meant nothing to him. She might as well have swung that axe herself! Perhaps he had trusted Linalia too much....

He looked back at her again, still advancing deeper and deeper towards the chamber they all knew would contain Mashnella herself. He saw her, burning the guards up five at a time. But the look on her face.... her heart wasn't into it. She didn't even seem to care about the outcome of this battle. Who lived, who died.

Galerin shook his head. He resolved himself not to trust her, and not to rely on her as he usually did. She would be his again later. All he had to do was triumph in this battle, and she would see him once again as her hero. He was the best, and soon, she would see that just like everyone else. 


	21. Chapter 21

Resala shot off another arrow. It flew strait to it's target, plunging into another Dark Elf's heart.

She hated Dark Elves with all her heart. It was part of what made her a High Elf. She had been raised hating them, and now was no different. They hated her just as much, but they couldn't touch her. If they got anywhere neer her, they immediately had an arrow in their chest.

Galerin waved them into the next room, and the party moved on progress was slow, as there were many guards. They had to kill most of them just to move on without risking being attacked from the back. Resala shot off another couple arrows, supporting Galerin and Kaneris' attacks as well as she could. She never missed. She had been raised to kill, it was nothing to her anymore.

As they defeated the guards in one room, Resala noticed Kaneris look back at her, smiling. She winked at him, then he turned back and kicked down the next door.

They moved on like that. Resala marveled at his strength in battle, looking at him like she never had before. Well, perhaps she had looked at him that way. But never had she admitted it. She had never openly admitted to herself what was so plain to see, now..... she was in love with Kaneris.

Another couple rooms full of guards were hacked through, but Resala just concentrated on Kaneris. She admired how heroic he looked, his halberd slicing through guard after guard. She was doing some of the work as well, but not as much as him. He had always been her hero, even though she had never told him.

Finally, they reached a large set of doors, heavily decorated. "This is it," Linalia said, "I can feel it."

Resala could feel it as well.... a great evil emanating from this room, as thick as smoke. Even Galerin hesitated slightly. But Kaneris, her hero, stepped boldly forward. The party was close together now, instead of the spread out formation that was easier for battle. Resala readied her bow, right behind Kaneris as he opened the door.

Inside, they saw the Dark Sorceress that was obviously Mashnella. She was facing away from them, standing in front of a desk, looking into some sort of crystal ball.

Without turning around, she muttered just loudly enough for everyone to hear, "So, you made it this far......"

Galerin stepped forward. "We wish to rid the world of your evil ways, witch!"

Mashnella turned around, smiling evilly. Dark, purple energy glowed in her hands.

Galerin charged forward. He was met with the black flame of the Doombolt Mashnella had been preparing. He hit the nearby wall, falling down. Resala looked back at Linalia, who looked at her, almost blankly. "What are you waiting for!?" Resala shouted. "Heal him!"

Linalia responded suddenly, as if coming out of a trance. She rushed over and started to take out a potion that would heal Galerin's wounds.

"One down...." Mashnella taunted.

Kaneris faced her. "That was a cheap shot! You know your magic has the advantage over hand-to-hand combat!"

Resala recognized this. Kaneris was betting that Mashnella had a sense of honor, and would fight fairly if she was so challenged. A good idea, but if it failed, they'd be in deep trouble. "He better not get himself killed," Resala whispered.

Mashnella apparently took the bait. "Alright... you want a fair fight, human? I can beat you however you wish!"

She grabbed a nearby staff. It had a blade on either end, both sides crusted with dry blood. It seemed Mashnella was not bad at hand- to-hand combat, either.

She rushed at him, holding one of the blades outward towards his chest. He knocked the blow away with a quick downward stroke, then arched his own blade toward her neck. She revolved her double-edged weapon quickly, blocking his blow with the second blade, then revolving the first one towards him again. This attack caught him off guard, and would have sliced off his head in one clean swipe if she had been attacking with the edge of the blade. Instead, it was the blunt end that hit his neck, knocking him backwards a few feet, but leaving him still able to fight.

He grimaced slightly, and Resala could she the sweat on his forehead. She wanted to help so badly, but she knew if she did, his plan would be ruined, and Mashnella would no longer be bound from using magic. If she could just get one clear shot....

Kaneris rushed in again, faking a jab at her stomach and going for the neck. Mashnella's strange weapon allowed her to attempt to block the first, then still successfully block the second. Then, she hit him squarely in the stomach with the center of the weapon, knocking him backwards once again.

Mashnella laughed evilly. She was getting a rush out of this. Her skill level was obviously much higher then her opponent's and there was little to no chance of him winning. Depression was setting in, and she was loving it.

Kaneris glanced back at Resala, seeing her face once again. She looked at him with anxious, worried eyes. He seemed to be empowered by that look, nodding slightly to himself, then looking back at Mashnella.

"Had enough yet, human?" Mashnella taunted.

"I will have had enough," Kaneris growled, "When your corpse lies dead before me!!"

He rushed forward again, more ferocious then ever. His halberd arched towards her, but was once again blocked. He hacked at her with blow after blow, but he couldn't touch her.

"I grow tired of this game," Mashnella said. She moved her weapon quickly, knocking him bluntly over the head. He fell to the ground near her feet, and she raised her blade into the air, about to drive it strait into his chest.

"NO!!!!!!!!"

Faster then the eye could see, Resala had drawn an arrow, knocked it onto her bow, and let it fly. It flew strait through the evil sorceress, stopping midway through her, piercing her dark heart. The blade dropped harmlessly to the side, and Mashnella fell to the ground, clutching the arrow in disbelief. She fell to the ground, death taking her quickly.

Resala rushed to Kaneris' side. She bent down over him, inspecting his head wound and all his other ones. Finally she just hugged him, closing her eyes and feeling his arms wrap weakly around her. After what seemed like hours of warm embrace, she opened her eyes, moving her head up and kissing him. This was sheer bliss, and she savored it as long as she could. He kissed back, obviously enjoying it as much as she was. Finally she drew away, looking first into his comforting eyes, but then noticing what was behind him, back in the doorway. She saw Xeron's face. His eyes were quite sad, though he seemed to be trying to hide it. He had obviously had feelings for her, not having known of her love for Kaneris.

She felt bad, breaking his heart like that... but there was nothing she could do about it. After that kiss, she knew for certain that she loved Kaneris more then anything. And if what she had felt through the kiss was any indication, he loved her back. She did not have to choose between them, the choice had already been made. Xeron had been hurt, but the damage was done. There was nothing she could do now except try to be there for him, as a friend........ 


	22. Chapter 22

On the way back to Bretonnia, Xeron spent most of his time in his quarters. He looked at the wall through blurred vision. Why had he even done this? He had been perfectly happy in his castle... maybe a little lonely, but at least he didn't have to deal with love and heart-break. Two... two people he had loved, and both of them loved someone else. 'Maybe I should just go back to my damn castle,' he thought.

He got up punched the wall. The wood was relatively soft, but it didn't even leave a dent. 'Just another display of my amazing strength,' he thought, sitting down and rubbing his hand.

"My only talent is with magic... evil magic," he thought out loud. "I can't even dent a stupid wooden wall. What ever made me think I could blend in with real society, anyway?"

He curled up on his bed. "Linalia and Resala both deserve better. They deserve someone who can protect them, not someone who hides behind spells and the walking dead. I belong in my tower, where I was, not in this world, not with other people..."

He was crying, now, his tears hitting the ground like drops of rain. "It's settled then. I'll help them with the rest of their quest, but then I'm leaving. After that dragon is dead, I'm gone. Back to my tower.. my home... somewhere I never should've left. That's where someone like me belongs. Cut off from society. Friends to none. That's the world I belong in. The only one I fit into."

He sighed, rolling over. Then, a shout from on deck.

"Bordeleaux is in site! Everyone prepare for departure!!"

Galerin always knew the wrong times, didn't he? Oh well... at least Xeron had a few minutes to dry his eyes and not let his tears be seen by the others.

Soon, they were walking off the ship. Dusk was slowly darkening the skies. Kaneris and Resala were holding hands. They had no reason not to. They both loved each other. Not like Xeron... who loved many but was loved BY none.

Xeron was starting to have second thoughts, even then. 'Now that I've had love... even if only a small taste of it...' he thought, 'can I really go back to living in loneliness?' He sighed, trying to ignore Resala and Kaneris' flirting.

He looked back over to Linalia. She was trying to hide it, but he could tell she wasn't very happy right now, either. She had seemed so out of it during the battle, and now she only seemed worse. If only there were some way to cheer her.....

Xeron's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion. He looked over just in time to see a giant blue dragon fly across the town, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

"Dagith!" Galerin half-whispered.

The dragon had obviously already done whatever it had planned for the town, and flew off towards the nearby woods. Galerin took a few steps in that direction, then turned back.

"We have to go! Now! We may not get this chance later!"

"Are you crazy??" Resala shouted. "You aren't in any shape to fight, neither am I, neither is Kaneris. And Linalia and I, our magic needs refreshing! We need a good night's sleep before we can do much of anything in battle."

"But, if we don't go now, he might depart for another area! We have to go now, or miss our chance!! Are you all afraid???"

Kaneris spoke up. "Galerin, what's gotten into you? You're supposed to be the big battle commander... what happened to the first rule? Never go into a battle with tired soldiers? I mean-"

"Quiet, you glory-hog!" Galerin snapped. "If none of you will go, I shall go slay the dragon myself!"

"Is that what this is all about??" Kaneris snapped. "Just because I beat the witch while you sat in the back and watched? You can't let stuff like that get to you... we're a team. Breaking that-"

"Don't give me any of that! I'm the hero here! A knight of Bretonnia! You're a simple soldier. A soldier away from his army. I don't need any of you!"

"Galerin, don't be a fool!" Linalia finally spoke up.

"You... you are supposed to be the lady, whom I save! Know your role!"

Linalia had had enough. Her hand flew through the air, smacking Galerin strait across the cheek.

"I've had enough! Galerin, this has gone to your head! You are not the only hero, here. All of us work together, that's how we are victorious. Now, stop this! We are spending the night here, and fighting the dragon TOGETHER in the morning. Okay???"

Galerin drew away, looking at her. "I'll have none of this! I will slay the dragon myself, just to show how wrong you are! I will do it now, with no help from any of you. Just don't think I'll be incredibly forgiving. You may have lost your place at my side, as my lady. Perhaps I will give you another chance if you are acting better when I return!"

With that, he left. Linalia moved to stop him, then stopped. Finally, she turned to face the rest of them.

"He's crazy..."

She sighed, looking at all of them. It seemed she had become a leader, with Galerin gone.

"We need not chase after him... let him have his fun. I'm... I'm sure he'll come back alive, one way or another. Until then, we should rest. We'll go out to find him in the morning, if he hasn't come back. Who knows, maybe he'll kill the thing. If not, he's a survivor... when he sees the battle is impossible, he'll get away. We'll probably find him beaten up, safely in some tree somewhere. And he'll have learned a lesson, at that. Then, we can go and kill the dragon."

Everyone else nodded, including Xeron. 'Then he can accept Linalia back, and she'll be happy. I can wander off to nowhere, and no one will miss me. Everyone will be happy... and I'll cope. I always have, always will. That's how it's meant to be, for me....' 


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, Linalia had everyone up bright and early. It was apparent that Galerin had not returned yet, and she was getting more then a bit worried.

'What if he got badly wounded? If he fought that thing for too long, he could be seriously hurt.... maybe it hurt his pride so much, he stayed longer then he should've..... Oh, God, if anything happened to him......'

Soon, they were ready to go. They hurried towards the forest, having no trouble finding the path Galerin had taken. A clean passage was hacked through the dense woods, obviously done so by a very skilled swordsman.

They followed the trail until they reached a clearing. There, on the far end, Dagith was laying. Linalia looked at him. Was he dead? There didn't seem to be all that many wounds, at least not enough to kill a dragon. And for that matter..... where was Galerin?

Then, she saw. All of them saw. There he was... only a few hundred yards from where Dagith was laying. Linalia rushed over to him, whispering, "Oh no... oh God, please no....."

She reached him, turning him over, feeling his heart. Nothing.

"No... he was cruel, but not this bad...... he was still human...."

She sensed everyone else gathering near, all realizing one at a time the truth. Galerin was dead.

"It was my fault... if I had been less forceful back there.... then....."

"Um... I don't think this is a very good time....."

Kaneris! How could he be so cruel! She had practically killed Galerin herself, she had every right to...

But then Linalia looked up, realizing suddenly exactly what he meant. The dragon was rising. It had opened it's eyes, and was now bringing up it's giant head, yawning slightly.

The dragon eyed them for a few more seconds, looking them over. Finally, he turned his gaze on Linalia and spoke.

"Are you the rest of that pathetic one-man army who thought he could kill me yesterday? Hmm... judging by your tears, I'd say you cared about him, little elf."

Linalia's face changed slightly. 'I.. I am partly responsible for his death. But I didn't kill him. This... dragon.... Dagith..... he did.'

Dagith smiled confidently, now fully awake. "How cute. Too bad you were too late. Not that it would have made a difference. I can kill all of you as easily as I killed him. You will all make a fine breakfast."

Linalia was still crying, but they had turned to tears of rage. 'How dare he speak of my Galerin like that? Taking it so lightly.... I may no longer have loved him, but he did not deserve to die. He did not deserve that fate. Dagith.... you will pay for what you did to him.'

"Well? Are you just going to stand there? I personally wouldn't You'd certainly be smarter then that stupid barbarian at your feet."

"His name..." said Linalia, her hands already glowing with a spell, "was GALERIN!!"

With that, she released the spell in the form of a ferocious Fiery Convocation. Flames rushed forward, scorching the dragon. The creature had obviously sensed a spell, but hadn't expected such ferocity in the magic. He was knocked backwards a few feet, something not easy to do to a dragon.

"That.." Dagith sputtered, "was pretty good..."

It leaped to it's feet. The spell had caused some damage, but had also served to anger the beast. They would not catch it off guard anymore.

Before anyone else could react, Dagith leaped forward, propelling his giant body gracefully towards them. Had he not been their hated enemy, they might have admired his grace.

Kaneris, raised his weapon to defend against the attack, but not fast enough. A large slash hit him hard, and the other claw knocked him backwards about ten feet.

"NO!" Resala released an arrow, flying true, strait into the dragon's left eye. The giant beast roared with pain, rearing up on it's back legs, stretching a massive twenty-five feet into the air. It came back down, rage in it's still-good eye, now completely pissed and becoming quite bloodthirsty.

Linalia had another spell ready, but she heard something behind her. A wind billowed up, and she looked back just in time to see Xeron behind her. She saw his long, black hair flowing in this wind, his robes billowing violently. This could only be Wind of Death... one of the most powerful Necromancy spells in existence.

The spell reached it's peak and he shot it forward. Linalia felt the black energy she would have once feared. But now it shot past her, as she was not the target. Her enemy was. She turned her head just in time to see Dagith hit by the wind.

It seemed to tear at his very existence... ripping at his blue scales, pounding on his thick, leather chest. Linalia looked in awe... seeing such a powerful creature struggle so much... struggle against the true possibility of death.....

Finally, the spell finished, leaving the dragon tattered and torn. He looked out at Xeron. "A necromancer... I should have known....."

Everyone seemed to pause, waiting to see what the injured dragon would do. It was severely weakened, and wouldn't last much longer.

"I should have remembered.... when fighting enemies..... always go for the spell-casters first!"

Before anyone could react, he shot forward. Linalia was his obvious target. She didn't have time to ready a spell! She braced herself, preparing for a painful impact.....

But it never came. She opened her eyes and gasped. Xeron had run out in front of her. The dragon was attacking him... tearing at his thin figure. Xeron would not last much longer against this onslaught.

Linalia's eyes glowed, Preparing for the sheer intensity of what she was about to do.

"You have already murdered Galerin, my love for many years."

The first spell, The Tempest, was already starting up, small wisps of wind charged with white, magical energy, were swirling around Dagith and Xeron.

"Now, you wish to destroy Xeron... the one other man who I have truly cared for, truly loved."

Xeron looked back at her as he was knocked backwards by the powerful lightning-breath of the blue dragon. He closed his eyes, letting himself rest. His battle was over.

"I will have NONE OF IT!! You will DIE for what you have done...!"

The Tempest was in full effect now, and Dagith could barely move. He glared through the swirling winds, squinting slightly and lowering his head.

"What you have done to my friends... to my men.... and most of all....."

The earth beneath Dagith was crackling, a large hill tearing away from the rest of the earth. The dragon looked back, realizing too late what was happening.

"What you have done to my heart!!!"

The giant piece of earth flew forward, a giant Assault of Stone spell hitting the dragon. The entire hill engulfed him, flattening the already weak dragon under thousands of pounds of earth with a destructive explosion. Linalia, collapsed, feeling at last the effects of what she had done.

"Two of the greatest High Magic spells in existence...." Kaneris mumbled from his place several yards away. "That was... amazing...."

Linalia looked over, realizing Xeron had only been a few feet away when he had fallen. She inched over to him, using a great deal of her remaining strength just to get there.

"You were.. amazing..." Xeron breathed.

Linalia silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Be silent... save your strength. We need to get you back to town."

Xeron chuckles weakly. "Look who's talking... you can barely move, yourself."

"That creature had already taken too much away from me," Linalia said, bringing herself closer. "I couldn't let him take you... my... my love....."

Xeron gasped slightly, then his eyes softened with the truth. There was no reason to hold back now. She had cared very much for Galerin, but had not loved him. Her heart belonged only to one man now. That man was Xeron.

They were together now, at last. It didn't matter that neither was strong enough to move very easily. Linalia pulled him closer, capturing his lips as she had longed to do for so long now. He kissed back, seeming just as happy, if not more so. It felt right. It was perfect. This was how it was meant to be.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity. Linalia brought her arm around him, but he suddenly winced in pain. "There, there.." She patted him softly, taking him into her arms. "Rest... you need it."

He smiled warmly, and closed his eyes, his head resting just under her chin. She smiled peacefully, and found herself drifting off herself. Together at last... in each others arms.... they were both at complete peace.

~~~

Linalia woke up, finding Xeron still close by her side, but in a bed, in a tavern. Resala and Kaneris had obviously been able to get them back to town, and now they laid peacefully together.

Linalia watched Xeron, thinking as she had before about how adorable he looked in slumber. Finally, he opened his eyes, looking up at her.

He looked around. "We're... alive....."

She smiled down at him. "Yes.. we won. We beat Dagith."

He relaxed once again, letting himself fall into her arms. "So," he said, "what now?"

"Now... we rest."

The words comforted him, and he snuggled closer, closing his eyes once again. "And after that?"

"After that... I guess we'll see what the world has for us. You can do a lot of good in the world, now."

"And... I can stay with you?"

"Of course, Xeron... I love you."

"I love you too, Linalia...."

Such sweeter words she had never heard, and it warmed her heart. She knew their adventures together were far from over. But she looked forward to every minute she would spend with him. They were together... at last. 


End file.
